Does Champagne Go Bad? Our Best Tips!

  • Last Updated - 3/28/23
Does Champagne go bad shelf life

So, you still have a bottle of Champagne in the fridge, and now wondering if it’s still good enough to drink? The last thing you would probably want to do is to throw away a perfectly good bubbly. That would be a waste for leftover Champagne!

To answer the question of whether Champagne goes bad or not, well, it’s both yes, and no.

Table of Contents

How Long Does Champagne Last?

How long a sparkling wines will last depend on two factors – how you store it and the type of Champagne it is.

vintage vs non-vintage
  • Vintage Champagne vs. Non-Vintage Champagne – One of the first things you must look for to get an idea of how long your Champagne will last is to find out if it’s vintage or not. So, vintage will last longer than a non-vintage bottle.
  • Do you have a vintage Champagne? Look at the front label – vintage champagne will have the year when the grapes were harvested to produce the wine. Non-vintage will not have one since they are made of grapes harvested in numerous years.
  • Opened vs. Unopened Champagne – Unopened bottle lasts for as long as 3-5 years (non-vintage) or 5-10 years (vintage). But once you open that bottle, even when storing it in the fridge, the clock is ticking down on both the wine and the fizz.

As a rule – drink Champagne within few days after opening. 

opened champagne non vintage champagnes leftover champagne

How to Store a Bottle of Champagne?

This can be finicky in terms of storage. To ensure that your unopened bottle of sparkling wine still tastes great and to extend its shelf life:

  • Store Champagne in the wine fridge
  • Or wine cellar

Whichever storage option you pick, the secret to storing Champagne is in a place with consistent temperature to ensure its consistent quality!

Avoid storing inside the refrigerator for the long term since it can dry out the cork, losing the bubbles and becoming a flat champagne.

How To Keep an OPENED Champagne Bottle Fresh?

keep open bottle of champagne fresh
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  • Use champagne stopper – A nifty Champagne sealer will make sure the carbonation stays. My best pick is the Champagne Stopper by Kloveo. It has a patented self-tightening seal, so no pressure pump is needed!
  • Keep it cold – Keeping leftover sparkling wine ice-cold through the night ensures that it remains fresh and bubbly. Either keep it in an ice bucket or return the bottle to the fridge.
  • Buy quality – It goes without saying that a few extra bucks to get a good-quality bubbly is worth it, especially if you can’t finish an entire bottle.

Does Champagne Get Better with Age?

Simple answer: 

Vintage – Yes

Non-Vintage – No

But the general consensus is that Champagne, doesn’t benefit a lot from aging.

And it is particularly true for non-vintage Champagne that loses its bubbles when left too long to age.

With that said, some vintage Champagnes can develop their aroma profile and get a more complex flavor as it ages. But, the downside is that most of its bubbles would have disappeared by that time.

How to Tell if Champagne has Gone Bad?

There are some clear signs that your bubbly could be bad champagne, probably expired, and best not to drink it.

bottle of champagne vintage champagnes bad champagne
  • There’s NO signature “pop” when you open the bottle, meaning there’s no carbonation left.
  • Notice any flat or sour smell? The wine will most likely taste sour too.
  • Any change in color or noticeable clumps floating inside the bottle may also indicate that the wine has gone bad.

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